Well I was decompressed in July 2010…It definitely helped my headaches but a lot of other symptoms stayed and some are gradually getting worse…Anyway I seen a professor that was recommended to me about 6 weeks ago and although my blood tests appeared “NORMAL” he strongly believes I am Hypothyroid…And has started me on a low dose of medication…I’m definitely not as tired as I was…But I’m back with my NS in a couple of weeks for mri and follow up consultation…So do you think I should mention it too him??? I suppose what I don’t want to happen is for me to tell him about the thyroid and for him to say thats whats causing all my symptoms without any further investigation…I find that as soon as you mention something they are very quick to say “Well thats whats causing your problems so off you go”…And I would be interested to see how many other chiarians have thyroid issues aswell…Thanks…xxxxxx
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HI!!.
IMHO..I would(if it were me) wait til all the tests were done that the NS ordered..let him tell you his findings..be sure to go to appt will a list of all your symptoms..(I always forget, that is why i tell you to!!)...THEN after the NS tells you his opinion..then mention the thyoid.
good luck and keep us posted.
God Bless,
Lori
Thanks girls…I think I’ll at least wait for the mri results etc…and then let my surgeon know…Want to be certain that the surgery/Brain looks ok before I volunteer any info…xxxx
This professor I seen truly believes in treating the symptoms and not just going by blood tests…Most doctors only test for TSH but should be really checking Free T3, Free T4 as well as antibodies…I done a bit of research on it and there seems to be a lot of people suffering because they cannot get a proper diagnosis…I have low blood pressure. Low basal body temp, Vit b12 Deficiency, Low Vit D, Low Ferretin (Iron) all these are common in Hypothyroid patients so he couldn’t understand why no one had treated me before…You should check out this link its quite interesting if you suspect you’ve a thyroid problem
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic/
Hi Linda
I just joined this website this week. I too have thyroid issues and I take synthroid for it. I was on that medication before I was diagnossed with Chiari and basilar invagination. Prior to taking the medication I was very tired, my very thick hair was getting thinner, and I seemed to be always cold. I had various tests and wasn't diagnosed with the thyroid problem for a long time. It wasn't until I really insisted that my doctor find out why I was so incredibly tired that I got a diagnosis. The medication made a tremendous difference. I haven't heard of a connection between Thryroid and Chiari....interesting. I go to meetings of the Chiari Syringomelia Foundation, Washington DC Chapter, which holds educational seminars every two months or so. I'm going to ask that question. I've had three surgeries for a brain aneurysm and I have read about that connection. Course, a large segment of the population has aneurysms which will never cause a problem; they just don't know it. Only a very small percentage cause problems. Mine didn't, but it was found during tests for the Chiari surgery. Hugs and Blessings
Shirley C.
Carla
OMGosh Carla, I know gall stones can be very painful. The good news about the gall bladder surgery - if there is any good news - is that they now do the less invasive surgery through some small holes instead of a big incision like my husband had when he had his removed. I know carpal tunnel is not much fun either....been there, done that too. But mine was corrected by sleeping with those so very fashionable gloves on my hands and wrists. I know I was lucky with that. It's amazing how much better I felt after I got the thyroid taken care of. I felt like a new person, so make sure you get that checked. It took a while for me to see the difference; I had to take the thyroid medicine for several months first, but one day I woke up and felt just so much better. I understand about all the problems; it seems like as soon as I breathe a sigh of relief that something is gone, then......something else takes it place. But the good news is...that as long as that's happening....I'm still here and still managing to enjoy my life. I'm convinced that God thinks of us chiarians as tough people. I've survived so much in my life and I've gotten through it all and managed to keep a positive attitude that I feel I must still be here for a reason....hopefully I can stay well enough to meet the challenge!
Hugs
Shirley C
Carla, I used to do volunteer work in the hospital and I know they write and mark things on people before surgeries. Just have them do a little artwork on the abdomen; that should do it!!! Shirley
I was 7 years old when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease which is an autoimmune disease that attacks the thryroid. I was a very very rare case, so rare in fact that I was put in the medical journals. This is something that usually happens much much later in life, women in their 30’s and up. The thyroid glad controls almost everything in your body…hormonally. If you are underactive (hypothryroid) you have a tendency to gain weight, have cold intollerance, dry skin, low blood pressure, suffer from fatigue. If you are overactive (hyperthroid) you will tend to lose weight and could suffer from heart palpitations. I strongly suggest that everyone that gets yearly bloodwork done, ask their doctor to include thyroid level testing. I would definitely mention this to your NS along with any other medical conditions you have. They need to have a full medical history of you. Now I am not a doctor, and I don’t know what your symptoms are, but I do not think that symptoms of underactive throid can be confused with Chiari Malformation. I am very new to Chiari, having been diagnosed just last month. I wish you the best of luck!!
I have thyroid issues and have been on 100mg synthroid since I was 20 years ols (now I’m 30). I just found out about my Chiari officially in Sept. 2010. Usually symptoms of thyroid are weight gain, dry skin, more than average loss of hair and tiredness. My Chiari and Thyroid symptoms are 2 very different things. Don’t be afraid to mention it to your NS, it could be they really need to know everything that they can to help you. If you are not getting the help you need the get another opinion, YOU know your body best. Good Luck :o)